DearReader,

ThroughoutthissemesterinEnglish114Bwehavewrittenmanyassignmentsthat
havehelpedusimproveourwritingskillsovertime.InthisportfolioIhaveincludedmyessay
two:FamilyAffairs:MarriageinFlux,whichregardstohowthemediadepictsfamiliesthatare
nontraditionalandhowthataffectsourwayoftreatingthesefamiliesandessaythree:Project
Text:ResearchPaper,whichdiscussesthetopicofRapeandhowitisasocietalissueandwhat
wecandotostopthis.IbelievethesetwoworksbestshowhowIhavematuredinmywriting.
TostartoffwiththestrengthsofbothmyessaysitisshownthatIamstronginmaking
claimsandhavingagoodargument.Ialsoknowhowtousespecificexamplesinorderto
supportmyarguments.Forexample,InmyessaynumbertwoFiltersMakeeverythingMore
BeautifulIspeakabouthowthemediafiltersnontraditionalmarriagesinordertomakeiteasier
forsocietytoacceptratherthanshowingnontraditionalmarriagesinitstrueform.Inorderto
supportthisclaimIincludedaquotefromGuillermoAvilaSaavedra,anAssistantProfessorof
CommunicationsatSalemStateCollegewhoexplainshowandwhythisisso.Additionallyin
essaytwoSlutshameOrShameonSociety?Ialsoincludedmanydifferentsourcesinorderto
supportmythesisonhowvictimblamingisunjustandshouldbestoppedbecauseitcreates
greaterissuesinthelongrunforboththevictimandsociety.Iincludeoneofthequotesfrom
MaxineHongKingstonsstoryNoNameWomaninordertodepictthenegativeeffectsof
victimblamingbasedonthevictim'sperspective.Iwouldhavetosaythatmyanalysisisstilla
weaknessbutmanyaspectfromthissemesterhelpedmeimprovedrasticallyitisstillaworkin
progress.

WhilereadingthevarioustextsfromthisclassIlearnedthatitisveryimportantto
questiontheauthorofthetextandnotaccepteverythingthatissaid.Thiswasoneofmy
weaknesseslastsemesterandnowIhaveimproved.Thispushedmeintothinkingbeyondthe
textandincorporateotheraspectsthatrelate.Additionallythishelpedmeinmyanalysisformy
essays.AlthoughitstillneedsworkIhaveimprovedmuchfromlastsemester.Ireallyenjoyed
readingAnzalduas"Borderlands,Baldwins"Sonny'sBlues"andSaroyans"ThePomegranate
Trees"becauseagain,ithelpedmeanalyzethetextandalsobecauseitincorporatedmessages
fromdifferentracesandethnicities.Thediversitywasenjoyableandkeptitinteresting.Ididnot
likereadingMaxineHongKingstonsTheWomanWarriorbecauseIhadalreadyreaditin
highschoolandIstruggledwiththelanguageofthetextandhowitwasuptothereaderto
determineofthestorywasactuallytrueorfantasy.Ifeltasifitwasallovertheplacebutwhen
discussingitandanalyzingitasaclasswithProfessorMakarosyanitwasmuchmoreclearwhat
theauthorwasdiscussingsamewithalltheothertexts.
IfitwerenotforEnglish114Iwouldstillprobablybeturningindraftsasfinalessays
andnotreceivingthegradesIhavebeenreceivingonmywork.Thisclasstaughtmethe
importanceofrevisingandanalyzing.InowenjoygoingtotheLRCforrevisingandgetting
feedbacktoimprovemypapers.BeforeIwouldhatecriticismonmyworkbutIlearnedto
acceptitandenjoyit.TheessayIlikedwritingthemostwasessaynumbertwowhichwas
FamilyAffairs:MarriageinFlux.ThereasonwhyIenjoyedwritingthisessaysomuchwas
becauseitbroughtmeintoamindsetthatIhadnotyetexperiencedwhenwritingwhichiswhyI
choseitforoneofmypiecestoinclude.Ilearnedsomuchwhilewritingthisessay.Ididnot
thinkthisessaywasgoingtobeasenjoyableasitcameouttobe.Althoughthisessaychallenged

mebecauseofhowcomplexthistopicwas,organizingthematerialhelpedmewithmy
organizationanditallowedmetogrowasawriter.Themostdifficultessaywasessaynumber
onewhichwasProjectSpace.ThereasonwhyIfounditthemostdifficultisbecauseitgaveusa
lotoffreedomandIwasnotusedtothatbutitwasstillgoodtoexperiencethatfreedom.
SomeadviceIwouldgiveincomingEnglish114studentswouldbetorevise,revise,
revise!Revisionwasreallyimportantformethroughoutthissemesterbecauseitallowedmeto
raisemygradesandimproveasawriter,aspreviouslymentioned.
Althoughitmayfeellikea
longandtediousprocessrevisinghelpsonebecomeastrongerwriterbyviewingone'smistakes
andlearninghowtofixthem.